Just joined this community because I'm dealing with the exact same FAFSA disaster! Submitted mine in early December and it's been stuck on pending for almost 3 months now. This thread has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea about checking spam folders or that there could be silent verification holds not showing up in the portal. I've been calling FSA practically daily with zero success, so I'm definitely going to try that Claimyr service @Alejandro Castro mentioned. Also planning to contact my school's financial aid office tomorrow morning to document the delay like @Maggie Martinez suggested. It's both comforting and terrifying to see how widespread this issue is. My parents are starting to stress about Parent Plus loan planning and I'm worried about scholarship deadlines, but reading everyone's experiences here gives me hope that most colleges are being understanding. Has anyone gotten any recent timeline updates from the Department of Education about when December submissions might actually get processed? Thanks for all the helpful advice - at least we know we're not alone in this mess!

I'm a new community member dealing with this exact same FAFSA nightmare! Submitted mine in mid-December and it's been stuck on pending for nearly 3 months now. This thread has been incredibly eye-opening - I had no idea this was such a widespread issue or that there could be verification requirements hiding in spam folders. I've been calling FSA almost daily with absolutely zero progress, so I'm definitely going to try that Claimyr service @Alejandro Castro mentioned. Also planning to contact my school's financial aid office first thing tomorrow to document the delay like @Maggie Martinez suggested. It's both reassuring and terrifying to see how many of us are stuck in this mess. My parents are getting really anxious about Parent Plus loan planning and I'm worried about missing scholarship opportunities, but reading everyone's experiences here gives me some hope that colleges are being understanding about these delays. From what I'm gathering, it sounds like the Department is still processing November submissions, so December ones like mine probably won't move until April. Thanks everyone for sharing your advice and timelines - at least we know we're all suffering through this broken system together!

Hi everyone! I'm completely new to this FAFSA process and just stumbled upon this incredibly helpful discussion. Reading through all your experiences has been both enlightening and a bit overwhelming - there's so much I didn't know about SAI scores, Professional Judgment requests, and how income changes can affect aid eligibility. I'm currently a junior in high school and my family situation is somewhat similar to what many of you have described. My mom works part-time due to chronic health issues and my dad's hours at his construction job have been reduced significantly this winter. We're trying to plan ahead for when I apply to college next year, but our financial picture keeps changing. A few questions for the community: Should families in unstable income situations start documenting financial changes now, even before filing FAFSA? Also, are there certain types of schools (state vs private, large vs small) that tend to be more understanding about Professional Judgment requests? And finally, for those who have been through this process - what's the one thing you wish you had known earlier? Thanks for being so generous with sharing your knowledge and experiences. It's really reassuring to see how supportive this community is for people navigating these complex financial aid waters!

Hi everyone! I'm new to this community and just created my account after reading through this incredibly informative thread. As someone who's about to start the FAFSA process for the first time, I'm feeling both grateful and overwhelmed by all the knowledge being shared here. My family is in a somewhat similar boat - my mom recently had to cut back to part-time work due to caring for my grandmother, and my dad's small contracting business has been slow this winter. Reading about everyone's experiences with Professional Judgment requests and SAI scores has been really eye-opening. I had no idea these options even existed! A quick question for the group: when gathering documentation for potential income changes, should I also include things like increased caregiving expenses or changes in family size (my grandmother moved in with us)? And is there a preferred way to organize all this paperwork when submitting to financial aid offices? @Abigail Patel - I really hope your Professional Judgment requests work out well! Your situation gives me hope that schools will actually consider real-world changes. @Nolan Carter - thank you for explaining the process so clearly. Having a financial aid counselor's perspective makes this all feel less intimidating. Thanks again to everyone for making this such a welcoming and educational community. I'll definitely be following this thread for updates!

I'm going through something very similar right now! My family's income dropped significantly when my mom had to leave her job to care for my grandmother, but our first Professional Judgment appeal was also denied for "insufficient evidence." Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - especially the advice about creating that detailed monthly budget comparison and getting specific about the percentage of income loss. I had no idea that first appeals are commonly denied just to weed out people who aren't serious about pursuing it. @Libby Hassan - your point about using the exact HEA Section 479A phrasing is brilliant! I'm definitely going to include that legal reference in my resubmission. And @Zane Gray, thank you for sharing those specific numbers about your income reduction calculation - that approach makes so much sense. Has anyone had experience with schools that have particularly strict Professional Judgment policies? My school seems to have a reputation for being really difficult with appeals, but I'm hoping persistence will pay off like it did for so many of you. Going to gather all this additional documentation and schedule that in-person meeting. This thread has given me so much hope that I can turn this around!

I'm so sorry you're going through this stress right before school starts! I went through a similar Professional Judgment appeal denial last year and it was absolutely devastating at first. But please don't give up - the advice in this thread is spot on. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is to ask your financial aid office specifically about their "appeal timeline" and whether there's an expedited review process for students whose enrollment is at risk. Some schools have emergency review procedures that can get you an answer faster than the standard 2-4 week timeframe. Also, when you're putting together that monthly budget comparison that everyone's recommending, make sure to include any debt payments your family is making (credit cards, medical bills, etc.) and any expenses related to your dad's job search (gas for interviews, professional clothes, etc.). Every dollar counts when you're showing the full picture of your family's financial strain. The fact that school starts in 6 weeks actually works in your favor - schools hate having enrolled students drop out for financial reasons because it affects their retention statistics. Use that urgency to your advantage when you meet with them in person. You've got this! Keep us updated on how your meeting goes next Tuesday.

As someone who just started college this semester and went through the exact same confusion, I totally feel your frustration! The financial aid system is so unnecessarily complicated and schools are terrible at explaining the process. Here's what I learned after weeks of confusion similar to yours: **Your excess money ($1,500) is absolutely yours** - once aid disburses, they'll apply it to your bill first, then you get the remainder as a refund for books, living expenses, etc. **The "processed" status usually means you're missing key steps:** 1. Log into studentaid.gov and complete entrance counseling if you haven't already 2. Sign the Master Promissory Note (MPN) - this is required before loans can disburse 3. Check your student portal for an "accept aid" or "accept loans" button (often buried in the financial aid section) **Timeline expectations:** Aid typically disburses about 10 days after classes start, then refunds take another 1-2 weeks. Definitely set up direct deposit in your student account or you'll be waiting ages for a mailed check! **Pell Grants are automatic** through FAFSA if you qualify - no separate application needed. You can see the breakdown of grants vs loans clearly on studentaid.gov once you complete the missing requirements. The first semester is always the most confusing but once you get through these steps, future semesters are much smoother. Don't let your school's unhelpful staff discourage you - this confusion is totally normal and you'll figure it out!

As a newcomer to college financial aid, this thread has been absolutely incredible! I'm dealing with the exact same situation - FAFSA approved but stuck at "processed" status, and my school's financial aid office gave me the same unhelpful "just wait" response. Reading through everyone's experiences, it's clear there's a whole hidden checklist of steps that schools never bother explaining: 1. **Complete entrance counseling on studentaid.gov** - had no idea this was even required! 2. **Sign the Master Promissory Note (MPN)** - another mystery requirement 3. **Hunt for the "accept loans" button in student portal** - apparently often buried where you'd never find it 4. **Set up direct deposit for refunds** - unless you want to wait weeks for a mailed check The timeline everyone's sharing (10 days for disbursement + 1-2 weeks for refunds) is so helpful for managing expectations. I was starting to think something was seriously wrong with my application! It's honestly ridiculous how schools expect us to just magically know about these steps. This community has been way more helpful than any official source - thank you all for sharing your real experiences and making this confusing process feel manageable. Going to tackle that studentaid.gov checklist tonight and hopefully join the ranks of people who can help the next wave of confused first-semester students! 🙏

I'm dealing with this exact same frustrating situation! My family's income is around $52k and we qualify for free lunch, so we should definitely be eligible for the simplified needs test. But just like everyone else here, I'm getting stuck in this endless loop where the system gives me asset error messages even though it never asked about assets in the first place. What's really driving me crazy is that I've attempted corrections four times now, and each time it takes me through identical screens, I submit, and then get the same error messages again. It's like the system is completely broken for families who actually need the most help with financial aid. After reading through all the helpful responses here (especially @Diego Vargas's explanation about the Department of Education acknowledging this as a known issue), I'm going to contact my son's top choice schools directly tomorrow. It sounds like the financial aid offices can override these system errors while we wait for the feds to fix their mess. Has anyone had luck with the different browser/device approach, or does it seem like this is purely a backend system issue that won't be resolved by clearing cookies? This whole FAFSA rollout has been such a nightmare - I feel terrible for all the students and families going through this stress during what should already be an overwhelming process.

I'm experiencing this exact same issue and it's driving me absolutely insane! My family's AGI is around $54k and we qualify for reduced lunch, so we should definitely be eligible for the simplified needs test. But just like everyone else here, I'm stuck in this nightmare loop where I get asset error messages even though the system never asked me about assets initially. I've tried the correction process five times now and it's the same story every time - identical screens, no asset questions appear, I submit, and then boom - same error messages about missing asset information. It's like the system is actively working against families who need financial aid the most. Thank you so much @Diego Vargas for that crucial update about the Department of Education acknowledging this as a known issue and schools being able to override these errors. That gives me some hope! I'm definitely calling the financial aid offices at my son's target schools first thing tomorrow morning. This whole FAFSA rollout has been such a disaster. I can't believe they launched a system this broken when so many families are depending on it for their children's education. The stress and anxiety this is causing during an already overwhelming college application process is just unacceptable.